


Space

by Pi (Rhea)



Category: PlanetES
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-23
Updated: 2011-11-23
Packaged: 2017-10-26 11:30:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/282537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhea/pseuds/Pi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even if he's halfway to Jupiter the wonders of technology mean Ai can still talk with her husband. written for kink bingo prompt phonesex/epistolary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Space

It wasn't exactly something they'd talked about when Hachi took the job but Ai figures it comes with the territory. Ai loves Hachi and she loves that Hachi loves his job. Even when they both came back to Earth Ai knew it couldn't be forever. Those first weeks, when she was just walking again, still slow and easily winded she and Hachi had looked to the stars. It was inevitable that'd he'd leave to find them again. Ai felt the pull of space and she'd never been drawn to it as he had. They'd been married on Earth, and Ai had been delighted to find a family in Hachi and his parents and brother. But when Hachi left Ai knew she couldn't stay there. It was years of work, but she wanted to be in space. On the day Hachi returned she wanted to have a home to offer him, a home they could both share. A private space craft wasn't a completely unreasonable goal, she had seven years to do it. Of course, Hachi had failed to get there in over ten years but Ai has unreasonable determination on her side, and love.

Those first weeks, it had been love that had gotten her out of the chair. Love and stubborn belief that she could beat the odds. Now Ai is almost ready to take the physical tests for heading back to space. And it's love that's brought her here. Love of Hachi. Hachi's love of the stars. Her own affection for friends and places that she can't see without a telescope at night. Fi sends her messages about the team, and Claire writes her from prison. Ai talks with her new mother-in-law on the phone every week. Ai has people she cares about and people who care about her. But Hachi is the most important. His face is the highlight of her week.

She bought one of the communicators for herself so she can talk to him whenever he's free, no matter what time it is. It's an older model, not like the sleek, high resolution screened ones they had on Seven. The image is a little grainy, and the sound a little tin-y but it picks up the connection even when he's almost to Jupiter. Ai hears the familiar "ding" in the middle of the night. Hachi calls any time he can, which is, unfortunately, rarely. Often they miss each other because Ai is out training or grocery shopping or working at the local store where she's on part time. Ai rolls over and presses call answer. Her hair is probably a mess and she's only wearing one of his old shirts but they're married and she hasn't heard from her husband two weeks. He can deal with bed head.  
"Hey, it's really dark over there. Did I wake you up?" Hachi asks. His voice is cheerful and the brightness of the screen in the dark room makes his smile glow.  
"It's okay." Ai mutters, she flips on a lamp "There, can you see me now?" His softening expression tells her before he says, "I did wake you up. I'm sorry. Have I told you you're beautiful recently?"  
Ai runs a hand through her hair and raises an eyebrow. "Well I probably have morning breath, but if you like half asleep and" Ai waves at her hair "then I suppose it's alright." Hachi drifts closer, so his face fills the screen. Ai leans in as well. She's tempted to kiss the screen, but she tried that once and it just makes her heart ache, the tickle of static against her lips and the feeling of millions of miles between them.  
"How are you?" Hachi asks, his voice is low and comforting.

Ai props herself up against the pillows, strechs and leans back a little, tilting the screen so she can look at him comfortably.  
"I'm good." she answers "I'm about a week away from passing my space test. Then I'll be cleared to go back out. Actually I'm really excited about it." Hachi laughs.  
"No, I can tell, even if you're tired it's in your eyes. You know they'll all love to see you again."  
"You really think so?" Ai asks, she's not really nervous, but it's been so long.  
"I know so." Hachi insists.  
"You've been talking with other people?" Ai asks laughing.  
Hachi shakes his head, serious, "No, we don't have enough power for that. It takes a lot to get a signal boosted that far, you're more important." Ai lets the warmth of that spread through her body.  
"I'd kiss you for that if I were there." She murmurs. Hachi starts a little floating backward from the screen.  
"God." He says, "You don't know how much I miss that." He reaches out, as if to caress the image of her face on his end. Ai smiles and reaches her fingers to the screen. It's still just technology, a warm hum under her finger tips and static electricity raising the hairs on the backs of her fingers. But on the screen his fingers rest under hers, touching with all of space between them.  
"Do you get lonely?" Hachi asks, slowly drawing his hand away. Ai smiles,  
"No, I've got too much work to do." She flexes her bicep at him, pulling the sleeve the t-shirt back to show. "I've gotta be strong to get back into space." Hachi grins.  
"Well, if there was ever anyone stubborn enough to get back up there it'd be you." The fond affection in his voice sets up a fission of energy at the base of her spine and Ai sighs, resting her fingers against her cheek and imagining Hachi's hand there. He must see something of her thought in her face because his eyes go dark. He slowly and deliberately copies her movement, but then slides his hand gently across his cheek to rest two fingers against his lips. Ai, watching him, does the same.

The feel of her fingers makes her lips tingle. She can feel the heat of her own breath, moist where her mouth is slightly open. On screen Hachi swallows but his eyes never leave hers. He slides his hand down his neck to rest against his chest, cupping where her breast would be. Ai's breath hitches. She wonders if Hachi's connection is precise enough to pick up the small shift of sound. The way his face is flushing Ai thinks maybe it does. Somehow she doesn't feel awkward. She wants Hachi here, but if she can't get that. Hachi makes a sound of protest as she sits up, out of his view. Ai tilts the screen to follow her as she quickly strips off the t-shirt. She can hear the choked sound Hachi makes and she flashes a quick, hot look over her shoulder and shimmies out of her underwear. Naked she turns back to the camera and resettles herself on the bed.  
"So?" Ai purrs raking her gaze across his image. He's in his crew uniform, but he's also in his cabin. Hachi stares at her for a moment his eyes pulling on her body like a magnet. Then with an undiginified gurgle he wrenches his eyes away to strip out of his suit at a record speed.

Then he's there, floating before her, her husband, naked, hard and far beyond her touch. It makes her eyes sting again but she catches his eye, lightly playing her fingers down her own body to catch at a nipple then cup her breast. She can't help the involentary hiss at the way that makes his body jerk on screen. He's too far away, but as they begin their game of mirror and he runs her hand up into her hair, arching her body off the bed, his eyes devouring her, she can't help the smile that spreads across her face. She has years left to wait but in this he is here with her. His breathing is loud in her dark bedroom and even if it's her own hand caressing her inner thigh it's his eyes holding her, and his gently whispered "I love yous" that follow her into orgasm.

It wasn't exactly something they talked about, how their marriage was going to be shaped by the trip to Jupiter and her own slow recovery, but Ai knows no matter how far away, she will love him unreasonably. Ai is nothing if not stubborn. Some day soon she'll be up in the stars, and that's where he'll return to her. Until then with all the space between them, his slow breathing is beside her in the dark, when she turns out the light. She can imagine his fingers against her forehead, carding through her hair with his whispered "Goodnight." Life is a series of adventures and even if her love is out among the stars Ai is happy she's part of this one.


End file.
